


The Drama of Reality

by MissPotionsMaster



Category: Love Simon (2018), Love Victor (TV 2020)
Genre: Coming Out, Homophobia, M/M, Running Away, Victor's Found Family, emancipated minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28114770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissPotionsMaster/pseuds/MissPotionsMaster
Summary: In this take, the series goes a little differently. The trip to Willacoochee changes everything for Victor and sets him on a new path, one he could never have predicted.
Relationships: Benjamin "Benji" Campbell/Victor Salazar, Bram Greenfeld/Simon Spier, Mia Brooks/Lake Meriwether (mentioned)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	1. Willacoochee

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in the same universe as "Forever With You", but set years earlier.  
> I've taken the whole cheating storyline out because I'm tired of that stupid trope.  
> This will be my first multichapter story since I started writing again, hopefully it'll go as well as I have in my head.

Victor sat in the silence following Benji’s confession, lost in thought and torn with indecision. He could tell that Benji was still awake and he could sense the tension from his place on the other side of the bed. Tentatively, he reached out, placing his hand on Benji’s shoulder, making him jump and turn to him and ask, “Hey, are you ok?” 

Benji sits back up to face him, a look of concern on his face as he watches Victor gather his thoughts. Victor takes a deep breath then finally begins to speak, “I’m about to tell you something I’ve only told four other people,” He looks over to the other boy and saw the worry grow on his beautiful features. He sighed again before saying “I’m gay.” 

He watched as the worry and confusion turned to sympathy and understanding. “What about Mia?” Benji asks. 

“I won’t tell you her reasons, but we’ve been fake dating. We both have secrets we wanted to keep hidden, and fake dating was the easiest cover.” Victor explains vaguely. 

“When did you know?” Benji asks him, curious if this was a recent discovery. 

“Back in Texas. The community I was in wasn’t exactly supportive of anything other than cis and straight. When I came here, I figured the easiest way to keep rumors about me down was to ask a girl on a date relatively early on. Mia and I got along immediately so I thought she was one I could reasonably go on a date, tell her I want to stay friends but that a romance wouldn’t work out, and we could maybe stay pretty normal. On the date, she and I could both tell that the other was hiding something. We got onto the topic of homosexuality, and how stupid we think the guys at school are for how they talk about it. At that point, I felt like I needed to tell her, that maybe I’d have just one person who knew and would be ok with it that could be by my side at school. So I led us into the empty room with a bench, sat her down, and told her. She let out this relieved sigh, smiled a wide smile at me, and told me her secret. Apparently, we’d had the same idea, that we would go on a first date, tell the other it wouldn’t work out, and hopefully stay friends. After that, fake dating seemed like the easiest solution. We’ve been doing that ever since.” Victor explained. 

“So Mia was the first person you told?” Benji asks. 

“No, do you know who Simon Spier is?” He replies. 

“Yeah, I do. How do you?” Benji asks, shock evident on his face. 

“The first day of school, Ms. Albright told me about his big romantic gesture when he was a senior, and I was really frustrated that he got to be out and I was still scared and in the closet. I sent him a message on Instagram, and now we talk pretty regularly. He calls himself my gay sherpa. He’s not wrong.” Victor tells him. 

“Ok, so Simon was first, then Mia. Who are the other two people?” Benji asks. 

“Felix and Lake. I told Lake shortly after I told Mia, and Felix was last week. He asked me why Mia and I hadn’t slept together yet. I could’ve lied easily, but in that moment, I wanted to tell him. He was great. He gave me a big hug and told me he’s glad that I told him and that it doesn’t change anything between us. It’s what I didn’t even know I needed to hear from him.” 

Benji smiled softly at him, sighed, and said “Well, if we’re having a night of heart-to-hearts...Derek and I broke up on our anniversary.” 

“What? Why?” Victor asks, shocked. 

“He made fun of me for making a big deal out of our anniversary. He called it heteronormative bullshit made up by corporations to sell greeting cards to morons. I pulled out the card I got him and said ‘Well, I guess I’m one of those morons’. He tried to backpedal, but I cut him off and said a lot of stuff to him which boils down to I like romantic gestures, I like cliches, and I hate how anxious and put down he makes me feel. Before he could say anything else, I told him that I’m done with feeling the way he makes me feel, that I’m done with our relationship and that I wanted him to leave. He calls me daily trying to convince me I was overreacting and that we’re perfect together. The last time I spoke to him, I told him that I am never taking him back, that I broke up with him and I meant it, and that I don’t want to talk to him anymore. I called the rest of the band and they get to decide who gets to stay and who has to leave.” Benji explains, finally feeling relief at having told someone that he was sure would be on his side. 

“What kind of asshole tells someone that anniversaries are bullshit on their anniversary dinner that the other person has put so much effort into?” Victor asks, disgusted by how the older man treated Benji.

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing since that night,” Benji mutters. 

They lapse into another moment of silence which lasts a good few minutes before Victor decides he needs to come completely clean to Benji. “I need to apologize again for my birthday party.” 

“No you don’t, I get it,” Benji says though Victor thinks he can still hear the residual hurt in his voice. 

“No, I don’t think you do. When I invited you, and you asked if Derek could come, I wasn’t thinking about you two being gay or being together. It didn’t occur to me until you both showed up and I was midway through the introduction, and I panicked. I know you saw a little bit of mi Abuelo’s homophobia, but it was only as tame as it was because there were strangers in the house. He was putting his best face on. I’ve heard him say horrible things like pride is the perfect opportunity to ‘take some of them out’. He never specified what he meant, and I never asked. He was enraged when our favorite basketball team drafted an openly gay player, and he boycotts the team now. He threatened to sue our school back in Texas if they allowed the only lesbian couple in the school to go to prom together, and they were banned from the dance. And that is just mi Abuelo. Mi Abuelita is just as bad, mi Papi is slightly less bad, but still not great. Mi Mami is actually the best of all of them, but even then I don’t know how she would feel about her own son being gay. So when I pretended you weren’t together, it was because I was afraid of what they might say or do if they knew. I’m pretty sure Mia, Lake, and Felix being there is the only thing that saved all three of us.” Victor tells him, and he can see the hurt drain from his face, replaced with concern. 

“Are you afraid of them?” Benji asks tentatively, voice barely above a whisper. 

“Honestly, yeah,” Victor says, voice emotionless and eyes sad. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you have a family you’re afraid of, I’m sorry that Derek and I didn’t listen, I’m sorry that you’ve been carrying this guilt around since it happened.” Benji says, getting more emphatic as he went. 

“Don’t be sorry, you didn’t know any of this...I have one more thing I need to tell you.” Victor says, feeling the same nervousness from earlier fill him again. Benji didn’t say anything, just waited expectantly. Victor took a deep breath, then said “I’ve had a crush on you since the moment I saw you on my first day of school.” 

“Really?” Benji asks, a soft smile gracing his features. 

“Yeah, it’s why I was such a mess at the coffee shop when you were doing my interview. I’d never had a real crush before, and you were standing so close.” Victor admits, blushing hotly. 

Benji’s smile grew, and he shifted around on the bed so that he now sat, cross-legged, directly in front of Victor. He could see the question building in Victor’s eyes, but before the other boy could ask, he leaned in and kissed him gently. At least it started off gentle but quickly became heated. Pretty soon, Benji moved so he was straddling Victor, this makeout session heated and passionate. 

A while later, after Victor’s yawn began to overpower their kissing, they lay down wrapped up together, and Benji finally said something, “I’ve had a crush on you since you started working at Brasstown. It was easy to ignore at first. I thought you were straight, and I was with Derek, but the more I got to know you, the less I was able to ignore it.” Victor smiled, leaning in for another peck. Benji continued, “How do you want to handle this? I want to be with you, but I’m out and you aren’t.” 

“When we get back, I’m going to tell my family. I don’t want to hide anymore. I don’t want to be afraid anymore.” Victor says, sounding more certain than he feels. 

“Are you sure?” Benji asks, worry filling him again. From what Victor said earlier, his family, especially his dad, probably wouldn’t react well, and he was honestly afraid for Victor’s safety. 

“Yes, I’m sure. I want to be my true self. I thought I could wait till college, but I can’t,” Victor says, wrapping his arms more securely around the other boy. 

“Ok, but let me know how it goes, ok?” Benji begs. 

“I promise,” Victor assures. Pretty soon, both boys fall into a deep and restful sleep, wrapped up in each other.


	2. The Salazars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor tells his family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter contains homophobia and abuse. It also contains hugs and cuddles and comfort.

When Benji and Victor returned to Brasstown in the early afternoon the next day, it was to a frantic Sarah informing them that their scheduled closer got food poisoning, the barista currently on shift can’t stay late, and she has a meeting at the other Brasstown location in forty-five minutes. She offered them holiday pay if they stayed to cover the closing shift, which they quickly agreed to. Between that and being paid for the entire road trip, this paycheck was going to be the nicest either has ever received. 

The rest of the day passed quickly, finishing up and clocking out by ten. They walked together, hand-in-hand, until they had to part ways, and at Benji’s turn, they kiss quickly and part with pleased smiles. It wasn’t until he was walking up the steps to his building that the happiness was replaced with nerves. He considered waiting until the morning, but he knew if he did that, he would chicken out. 

As he walked into the apartment, he was greeted by his parents and sister in the living room, watching tv as they waited up for him. “Hola, Hijo” Isabel called out. 

“Hola Mami, Papi, Pilar,” he replied, nodding at each person as he addressed them. “It’s good that you’re all in here, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

“What is it, mi amor?” His mother asks, leaning in towards her son, fully attentive to what he may say. 

Victor took a deep breath, somehow more nervous than he had been to tell Benji the night before. “I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while now, actually since we were still in Texas, but I was scared of how you may react,” he pauses, taking in the worried expression on his family member’s faces. “Mami, Papi, Hermana...I’m gay.” 

There was a moment of stunned silence. A moment where he felt like maybe, just maybe, this could be ok. That moment ended far too soon and was broken by his father surging to his feet and stomping over to him angrily, spitting out, “What did you just say?” in a tone laced with disgust. 

Victor did his best not to cower, standing up straighter and squaring up to his father, “I said that I’m gay.” 

As the sentence left his mouth for the second time that night, his father raised his hand and struck, backhanding him straight across the face. “No, you’re not.” He growled out even as Pilar screamed for him to stop. 

Victor did not recognize his father in this moment. He knew that his father had beaten up his boss, but knowing it and seeing it are two different things. His father had hate in his eyes, disgust in his voice, and he could see the barely contained rage in his father’s shaking hands. “Yes, Papi, I am.” He says, again sounding more sure than he felt. He sounded almost defiant, despite the fear coursing through him. 

This time, his father did not backhand him. No, he pulled his fist back and punched him square in the stomach. Victor dropped to the ground with the force of it, air rushing out of his lungs, leaving him feeling like he was drowning. He kicked him forcefully, hitting him in the ribs on his left side, and angrily grunted through ragged breathes, “You are no son of mine. You have ten minutes to pack your things and get the hell out of this house!”

Victor scrambled to his feet, briefly glanced at his crying sister and mother, before running to his bedroom. He grabbed his two suitcases from his closet, his sports duffel, and his school backpack. As he quickly emptied his dresser and moved toward his closet, he heard someone enter his room. Whipping his head around at the sight, he was relieved to see that it was his sister and not his father. She hurriedly began packing the clothes he was dumping on the bed, and between the two of them, they filled the four bags before the ten minutes was up. The last thing he grabbed from his room was his laptop, its charger, and his cellphone charger, which he shoved into his backpack. They stood in the nearly barren room for a brief moment before she surged forward, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I love you, no matter what. I don’t care what they say, I don’t care that you’re gay, I love you and nothing will change that!” She says through her tears. 

“I love you too Hermana. I’ll call you when I know where I’m going ok?” He says, knowing his ten minutes was nearly at an end. He kissed the top of her head and begged, “Please be careful with them ok? I don’t want this to happen to you or Adrien. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to get you away from him, but until then, keep your head down and be careful.” 

“I will, I promise! I wish I could go with you!” she sobbed, hugging him even tighter, putting painful pressure on his developing bruises, but he didn’t pull away. A moment later, his mother came into the room, wrapping her own arms around him and whispering, “I love you, mi amor. It’s time to go, though.” He nodded. Part of him wanted her to fight for him, but most of him just wanted them both safe from his father’s wrath. He threw on his backpack, propped his duffel on top of one of the suitcases, and left his bedroom. His father was waiting for him beside the front door where he demanded Victor’s keys and shoved him out of the door. 

Now, he walked aimlessly down the street and away from his building. He knew he could call Benji or Mia to come and get him, but he wanted to get the hell out of Atlanta. Pulling up his Instagram, he went to his messages with Simon and hit the video call icon. Simon answered almost immediately, a wide, beaming smile on his face, which quickly fell when he saw the tears and the quickly forming bruise, “Oh my god, Vic! What happened to you?!” 

He could tell that Simon was in the living room of his apartment. The lights were dim so he imagined the roommates were all watching a movie. At Simon’s shout, he could see the others all crowd him, trying to see Victor for themselves. The only other person he could clearly make out was Bram, who was pressed into Simon’s side, head resting on his shoulder, obviously just as concerned at Simon. 

Victor took a shuddering breath and began his explanation, “I came out to my family...My dad hit me and they kicked me out.” He heard a chorus of expletives and oh-my-gods from the other end of the call and waited for it to die down before he continued, “I don’t know where to go...I want to get out of Atlanta...I don’t want them to be able to find me.” 

The other end shakes as Bram takes it from Simon, “You’re going to the airport, right now. We’re going to get you on the next flight here. We’ll keep you safe.”

“I don’t have the money for a flight to New York,” He confesses quietly. 

“Don’t worry about that, Vic, we’ll take care of it. Just get yourself to the airport.” Bram urged him again, before handing the phone back to Simon and moving out of his view. He heard a lot of shuffling, but couldn’t make out what it was. Simon began to speak again, “Vic, I’m going to stay on the phone with you until you get there, ok? Are you anywhere near a bus stop?” 

“Yeah, about a block away,” Victor confirms. 

“Ok, just keep talking to me. Tell me what happened on the road trip with Benji,” Simon suggested, and he smiled at the memory of kissing and sharing a bed with Benji. He recounted the whole thing as he waited for the bus. It only took about ten minutes for the bus to arrive, and another forty-five to get to the airport. Bram told him all of the information to print his ticket once he got to the ticket kiosk, and they even stayed on the call while he waited for security. 

Three hours after leaving his apartment, he boarded his flight. Two and a half hours after that, he landed at LaGuardia Airport with no idea what to do next. His phone was dead after such a long call with Simon and the others, so he wasn’t really sure what to do. He made his way toward Passenger Pickup, thinking maybe he could find a bus that would take him to the Bronx. Instead of a bus, he was met with the welcoming, wonderful sight of Simon, Bram, Justin, Kim, and Ivy. The moment they saw him, they rushed over to him, gathering him in a firm group hug.

At the passenger pickup at Laguardia Airport at just after four in the morning, Victor Salazar broke down in the arms of the five people who, despite not ever having met in person, supported him unconditionally, paid for his flight, and offered up their already packed apartment. Ivy and Kim took a suitcase each, Bram grabbed his duffel, and Justin took his backpack while Simon walked beside him, arm wrapped comfortingly around his shoulders and gently leading him where they need to go. They got onto a bus for a short ride, then down into the subway, where they rode a train the rest of the way to the apartment. They got off on a station only two blocks from the apartment, and by the time they climbed the four sets of stairs and entered the somewhat rundown apartment, he felt overwhelmed and exhausted. 

He started towards the couch, but Simon and Bram both grabbed him by an arm, leading him into their room instead. “We’ll sort everything out when we wake up, but for now, our bed is big enough, and I don’t think you really want to be alone right now,” Simon says. 

“You’re right, I don’t,” Victor agrees, reaching to dig through the duffel Bram had just dropped on the bed to find his pajamas. After a moment, he freezes as a thought occurs to him, “I have to call people tomorrow...Benji, Felix, Mia, and Pilar,” He starts to sound and feel close to tears again, but both men wrap their arms around him in a firm hug.

“We’ll cross that bridge tomorrow, and you won’t be alone through any of it. I contacted a friend of mine who is a family attorney, and she is going to come over and talk options with us,” He tells Victor. 

“How do you know a family attorney?” Victor asks curiously and sees as a look o confusion overtakes both men’s faces, before realization dawns on Simon’s. 

“We don’t really talk about me or Bram that much, do we? Well, I’m a first-year law student, Bram is a first-year medical student, and we’re both going to Columbia. Justin and Kim are seniors at NYU, and Ivy is a junior at NYU. I’m interning at a defense attorney law firm in Manhattan and one of my coworkers is married to Mina. Mina is the attorney that will be meeting with us tomorrow. She’s going to help us free of charge.” Simon explains.

“I didn’t realize how much older than me you both are. I just turned sixteen,” Victor tells them, blush blossoming on his cheeks. 

“We’re both twenty-five,” Bram says as he moves to clear the bed of stuff and got under the covers on his side. 

Victor didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt very embarrassed by the age difference between them and him. “I kind of feel silly for messaging you all this time...I kinda thought you were, like, a sophomore or something,” he admits. 

“Hey, don’t feel embarrassed, we are all happy to help you. Vic, we’re your family now.” Simon assures him with a gentle voice and understanding eyes. After another moment of silence, Simon asks “Middle or end?” 

It takes him a moment to understand, but once he did, he says, “Oh! Uh, end.” 

Simon nods, and this is the first time Victor realized that all of the roommates had shown up to the airport in their pajamas, which made sense since it was about four in the morning. He grabbed his own pajamas, went into the bathroom to change, and when he came back, both men were curled up together, leaving enough room for Victor to slide into the bed. 

As soon as he lay down in the bed, he felt the emotions overwhelm, and despite his trying to smother the sobs, Simon realized immediately and hugged him tightly. “We’ll figure this out, Victor. Together. You are not alone.” 

Before long, and as the sun began to rise, the six occupants of the apartment were all asleep. Nothing was resolved yet, and Victor hadn’t even begun to work through all of the emotions coursing through him. For now, though, he is safe, and that’s enough.


	3. New York, New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first steps on Victor's long journey to the rest of his life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, I am not a lawyer. I did some brief research on the process of emancipation but did not go in-depth. As a result, they are probably mistakes, and I apologize for any that I made. I did not go too much into the legal process and focused more on the emotional toll on Victor.

Victor awoke about ten hours later to an empty bed, his phone thankfully plugged in, a rumbling in his stomach, and fifteen missed calls from different friends and family members. He listened to the voicemails, first the ones from his friends, then the ones from his family. 

Benji’s was a simple, “Hey Vic, how’d it go last night? Call me when you can.” 

Felix said, “Hey buddy, Pilar told me what happened, please call me back so I know that you’re alive.” 

Mia and Lake both left similar messages, and Pilar left three. The first was from when he was on the plane, and it said, “Hermano, I love you, please let me know that you’re safe.” The second said, “Victor please, I’m worried about you. Please call me.” The third was from an hour ago saying, “Vic, I’m worried you might be dead or kidnapped or something. Please, please call me back.” 

He hesitated for a few seconds before listening to the remaining messages, all from his parents. God, they were awful. He wanted to delete them, but didn’t, figuring the lawyer probably needed to hear them. The first few were just his dad drunk and raging at him, threatening to do worse than the three hits if he ever came home. The next few were his mom telling him that if he agreed to go to a conversion camp, then he could come home. By the end of these messages, he could feel panic crawling up his throat. Simon...he needs Simon. He fumbles out of the bed, scrambles for the door, and practically falls out of the room. 

If he were paying attention, he would have seen Bram sitting at the breakfast bar and the other three roommates lounging in the living room, but all of his attention honed in on Simon standing at the stove. He launched himself at the older man, sobbing messily in the taller man’s chest, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, dropping his phone to the floor. He didn’t notice Bram scoop the phone up from the floor and listen to the voicemails himself. 

Simon quickly flipped the stove off, wrapped his arms snuggly around Victor’s shoulders, and whispered soothingly to the younger boy. Victor didn’t even notice when a knock came at the door, Justin getting to his feet and ushering Mina and Robert into the apartment. 

Bram moved toward the woman, holding the phone out to her, and says, “You’re going to want to listen to this.” 

For the next few minutes, she listens to the messages while Simon continues to calm Victor down. He directs the younger boy to the living room couch, Bram and Simon settling on either side of him. Once she’s listened to the messages, she settles into a chair across from them and says “Ok, I need you to walk through the whole situation for me, and then we will come up with options.” 

Victor explained everything, and when he finished, Mina bit her lip in thought. “Ok,” She says, “I think the best way for you to go about this is to file to become an emancipated minor. I’d file the paperwork, it’ll get sent to Atlanta where a courier will bring a letter to your parents notifying them that they have a certain amount of time to challenge the application. When it comes time for the hearing, you will have to prove that you have found a place to live on your own, and it’ll really help you if you can find a job before then. That may be a little difficult since you don’t have a new york driver’s license, but at least make an attempt. Submit applications and write down where you’ve applied and when, and bring that to the hearing. Now, Simon has informed me that you will be moving in with them, so the five current residents of the apartment should also be at the hearing. Assuming they don’t challenge the application, you will be emancipated, and will not have to answer to them anymore. I’ll help you through the next steps once that has been approved. How does that sound?” She explains. 

“You’ll all really let me live here?” He asks, surprised, and touched. 

“Of course we will Victor, you’re our family now,” Simon assures, and all of the others nodded in agreement. 

Mina and Robert stayed for another hour, going over details and answering questions before they took their leave. Mina promised to head straight to her office to file the proper paperwork and let them know when the court date would be. The moment she left, a weight settled on Victor as he realized he was going to have to call and tell his friends and sister that he wasn’t coming back to Atlanta. 

Simon seemed to read his mind because he wrapped a comforting arm around Victor’s shoulders and said, “You aren’t alone, Victor. We’ll be with you every step of the way, even if it’s silent support on this side of the phone.” 

Victor nodded, sucked in a deep breath, and dialed his sister’s number, “Hey, Pilar…” 

The phone calls weren’t easy, and every one of them made him feel heavier and sadder, but he also felt relief that he would finally be living somewhere that he felt completely safe and free to be himself. Pilar cried, so did Mia, and he could hear the palpable sadness in Felix’s voice, but somehow he was most nervous for the call with Benji. “Victor! I’ve been worried! How did everything go?” Benji asked the moment he answered the phone. 

“Umm...not well. My dad...he uh-he hit me. A few times. They kicked me out too.” He stutters an explanation out. 

“Oh my god! Are you ok?! Where did you stay last night? Are you at Mia’s?” Benji asked hurriedly, and Victor could imagine him rushing around his bedroom, trying to get all of the stuff he would need to head over. 

“I’m ok, but I’m not at Mia’s. You know how I told you that I’m friends with Simon Spier? Well, he and his roommates paid for me to come to New York City. Benji...I’m not coming back to Atlanta. I’m filing to become an emancipated minor, and I’m moving in with Simon.” Victor tells him quickly, ripping off the bandaid. 

“You’re-you aren’t coming back?” Benji asks quietly, sounding distraught and disappointed. 

“No, I’m not. I can’t be in the same town as them Benji...I just can’t. I would be constantly afraid that I’d run into them, and I can’t stand the thought of having to face everyone at school once they find out what happened. It’s better for me that I’m here, living with people who love and accept me,” Victor explains. 

“I thought...I thought that we were going to try dating...explore our feelings,” Victor could hear the disappointment in the other boy’s voice, and this conversation just kept getting harder the longer it went. He had to do it though.

“I would still like to. I understand if you don’t want to do the long-distance thing...but if you’re willing, I’d like to try,” Victor can’t name all of the emotions coursing through him right now, but the most prominent one at this moment was hope that the other boy would agree to try. 

Before Benji could respond, Simon gestures for the phone, and Victor tentatively hands it to the older man, “Hey Benji, this is Simon. I just wanted to let you know that you are more than welcome to stay with us if you ever want to come to New York City to visit Victor. Our apartment is a bit packed, but it’s a free and safe place to stay and you’d get to see Vic. Ok, I’m handing the phone back to him now.” 

Victor began to tear up again at how much Simon and the others were willing to do for him, and he could tell that Benji was as surprised and touched by the tone of his voice when he says, “Thank Simon for me, OK?” 

“OK,” 

“Vic, I really do want to try. You know, I graduate next year and I’d always thought about going to New York for college...maybe we can make it work,” Benji offers tentatively.

“And we could set up times to facetime, call each other a lot, and text all the time!” Victor says excitedly, causing everyone to laugh at his enthusiasm. 

“I’d love that, Vic...and maybe I can get my parents to agree to me visiting sometime this summer,” 

“I hope so. I haven’t eaten since our dinner break last night, so I’m going to do that, but we’ll talk later, right?” 

“Yeah, go eat, I’m actually on my break right now, so I need to get back to work,” Benji agrees. 

“Have a good shift and text me when you’re off,” Victor says and hangs up the phone. 

“Alright Baby Gay, get dressed! Simon is going to finish the food and then we’re going shopping. We need to pick out a bed, some bedding, a privacy curtain, and a dresser.” Justin says excitedly. 

“Where are we going to put all of that?” Victor asks uncertainly. 

“We’re turning the far side of the living room into your bedroom. It’ll make things in here a little tighter, but at least you’ll have your own space.” Bram informs him. 

Victor continues to be surprised by the kindness and generosity of the five inhabitants of this apartment. He was so overwhelmed with feeling, he had no idea what to say to any of them. Simon led Victor back into the bedroom, settling him on the bed, and lifting one of his bags onto the bed. “Get dressed, Vic. I’ll have food ready soon and then we’ll go.” 

Everyone dressed and ate quickly, then left to do their shopping. They bought a new twin-sized bed, some new clothes since New York is colder than Georgia, some new bedding, and a privacy curtain that they could all agree on, before returning to the apartment to rearrange the room. When he asked how they could afford to buy all of this stuff, Bram and Simon bashfully informed him that their parents actually paid for it all. 

“They don’t even know me,” Victor voices his shock. 

“I’ll tell you exactly what my mother said,” Simon starts, “She said that if something were to happen to me, and I had to up and move suddenly, that she hopes someone would help me out. We’re all a family now.”

Victor tears up and hugs Simon tightly. Soon enough, the other four joined the hug as well. “Thank you,” He whispers, voice choked with emotion. 

The next day, Mina informs them that the paperwork has been filed and that the hearing is in three weeks. His parents never bothered to challenge the application. Now, nearly a month after he came out to his parents, he was declared an emancipated minor. 

What he comes to realize is that his journey to recovery is long, and becoming emancipated does not immediately fix all of his problems. He’s safe though, and that’s what matters. He gets put on Simon and Bram’s cell phone plan, Justin goes with him to the DMV to get his license sorted, Ivy gets him a job at the coffee shop that she works at, Bram goes with him when he goes to enroll at the nearby high school, and he does virtual therapy sessions with Simon’s mom in the hopes of overcoming his trauma. 

The road is long, but he has a lot of people in his corner, here in New York and back in Atlanta. He’ll be ok. When he fled Atlanta, he wasn’t so sure, but now he was certain. He is going to be ok. More than that, he is loved and accepted, and he will finally be able to be authentically himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, this isn't my favorite chapter. The combination of the holidays and a little dose of writer's block are the cause for the delay in this story. I knew what I wanted to have in this chapter, but not quite how to say it. I hope it is ok. I already have a plan for the final chapter, though it may take me a little time to finish it.


	4. Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at Victor's future

Just over six years later, Victor can’t believe how truly happy he is now. When he fled Atlanta, he was terrified, hurt, traumatized, and abandoned by the two people who were supposed to love him unconditionally. What he went through hurt more than he could ever describe, but it allowed him to find the people who would truly love him and support him. 

In June following his emancipation, Benji’s parent’s actually allowed him to come out and visit Victor. He was surprised at first until Benji explained that his mom felt sorry for what Victor was going through, and wanted to do something to help, plus his parents both like Victor a hell of a lot more than Derek. It didn’t hurt that Simon and Bram talked to Benji’s parents, and they thought they were both responsible young men and a good influence. The best part of all, they let him stay for two whole weeks!

Justin graduated from NYU that summer, and within a month, he was cast as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. None of the roommates could get over the irony of that casting choice. Less than a month into the run, he started dating a man named Sebastian, and two months after that, he decided to move in with him and two other castmates. Kim’s partner, Iris, moved in, taking over Justin’s portion of the rent. 

In August, before their school years start, Victor came back to Atlanta for a week. He stayed with Mia because that was the only way the Salazar parents would allow Pilar to see him. They didn’t know that Benji stayed most nights at Mia’s too, and Pilar really liked him. 

He’d wanted to try to get Pilar and Adrienne away from the parents, but he couldn’t be their guardian until he was eighteen, and he would have to prove that they were unfit parents. They were frustrated, but neither of the younger siblings was in danger as long as they kept their heads down. 

He found out from Pilar when she came to visit him over winter break that the parents had filed for divorce and Armondo was moving back to Texas. Once they divorced, Isabel reached out to apologize to him. They still had the bare minimum of a relationship, nothing like they’d used to have, but it was at least civil, and he wasn’t worried for his sibling’s safety anymore which was a relief. 

In May, he managed to work it out with his teachers so he could take his finals a week early so he could be in Atlanta for Benji’s graduation. Benji got accepted to NYU, so he helped Benji pack up his belongings in the car he’d managed to buy for himself a month earlier, and the two road-tripped back to New York City where Benji was moving into the apartment, taking over Ivy’s portion of the rent since she got accepted into grad school in Chicago. For the first time since Victor moved in, no one was living in the living room of their three-bedroom apartment.

During his sophomore year of college, Bram and Simon got engaged. He was simultaneously excited for them and worried for himself. He knew his worry was probably unfounded, but a part of him thought that once they got married, they wouldn’t care as much about him, and he didn’t know what he would do without them.   
~~~~~~~  
It was weeks of him leaving the room every time the topic of their wedding came up before Simon finally confronted him about it. “Vic, can we talk for a second?” Simon asks, standing in the doorway of Victor and Benji’s room where Victor was studying for an upcoming test. 

“Sure, Si, what’s up?” He places his notes in his textbook and closes it, turning to give Simon his undivided attention. 

“I can’t help but notice that you’ve been acting weird since Bram and I got engaged, and I was wondering why that is.” Simon hesitantly says, coming in and sitting on the foot of the bed so that he was right in front of Victor. 

Victor sighs, looking down at his hands which were folded in his lap, “It’s stupid…” He whispers, biting his lip nervously. 

“Hey, whatever you’re feeling isn’t stupid. Your feelings are valid. I can’t help unless you tell me what’s wrong though,” leaning forward, Simon places a comforting hand on the younger man’s forearm. 

“You and Bram...you’re like my gay dads. Since I met you, I have relied on you both so much. You’ve helped me accept myself, you took me in and gave me a safe place to live, you and Bram love me more than my own parents do,” he takes a deep breath here, worried about how Simon will react to his next confession. “I’m worried that you and Bram are going to get married, move out, have your own kids, and...and you won’t need me or have time for me anymore.” 

Simon drags Victor’s chair closer to him, pulling the shorter man into a hug, and says “Vic, we will always have time for you, and we will always love you. We aren’t planning on moving out of the apartment anytime soon, and we aren’t even talking about kids now. The only thing that is going to change is that he and I will be wearing rings and we will be having a big party to celebrate being legally bound.” 

“You aren’t moving out?” Victor asks in surprise. 

“Not yet, at least. We like living here, and we like living with the four of you! Plus, we are both still getting started in our careers, we can’t afford to live on our own yet.”   
~~~~~~  
Now, just over six years after he moved to New York City, he is walking across the stage, accepting his diploma from Columbia University. When he first started college, he thought he was going to major in linguistics, but ended up falling in love with architecture. He already has a job lined up through an internship that he’s had for the last two years. 

“Victor Salazar,” the dean of his college called his name as he climbed the stairs on the side of the stage. He shook several people’s hands, accepted his diploma, and turned to leave the stage, but froze in place as his eyes landed on Benji, kneeling on one knee, ring box held out in front of him. 

He could feel his jaw drop open, no sound or words escaping as he stared at his boyfriend of six years. “Victor Salazar,” Benji starts to say, clearing his throat since he was already choked up, “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you with all of my being, and I never want to spend a day without you. Will you marry me?” 

Both men had tears in their eyes, and Victor could see that Benji’s hands were shaking. Victor couldn’t find his voice, so instead, he nodded his head, dropping to his knees in front of the other man, ran his hand through Benji’s hair, coming to rest on the back of his head, pulling him in for a deep kiss. Pulling away, tears still falling, he finally found his voice, “I would love to marry you, Benji Campbell.” 

Benji leans forward to quickly kiss him again, before pulling the ring from the box and placing it on Victor’s finger. As they stood, a round of applause broke out, causing both men to blush. They thanked the dean and made their way off stage. 

Over the years, Victor had many moments where he would stop and contemplate how his life has changed. Though he still sometimes gets upset by the fact that, other than his siblings, he has no relationship with any of his blood family members, he cannot get over how good his life is. This is one of those moments. He sometimes wishes that he could go back in time and tell scared, closeted little Victor that he was going to find a very supportive adoptive family, a wonderful fiance, the most amazing friends, and a career path that he is passionate about. 

He’s had some hardships in his life, but despite everything he has gone through, he’s come out on the other side better and stronger than he was before. He loves his life, loves his found family, and loves his fantastic fiance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
